Whether they flap their wings, bring a fur ball up on your best rug or traipse muddy footprints through your kitchen, the world would be a weird place without pets. If you are thinking about getting any type of pet then there are a lot of factors that you have to consider. Firstly, you have to determine whether you have the right balance of time, patience, caring skills and dedication. If these requirements cannot be met then it's probably not the best time for you to join the animal owner's world.

Owning a pet is a big responsibility and should not be entered into lightly. It takes a lot of dedication and judgement to decide which best is best suited to your lifestyle. For example, owning a dog, especially a puppy, may mean that you have to work from home or be a full-time mom (or dad) so that you can dedicate time to giving it exercise and attention. There is nothing worse than coming home from work to find your furniture chewed and covered in doggy drool! If you work in a full-time job, you may be better getting a goldfish (although goldfish do require some dedication too!). A pet should bring joy to your life and not be seen as another chore; write a list of advantages and disadvantages of each kind of pet to help you decide which is the most feasible and will suit your wants and needs.

Remember, animals have feelings too! They need to be loved, nurtured and cared for, as you would your own children. If you decide to have a parrot and you want it to talk, then you have to invest the hours for it to be able to screech "Polly wants a cracker!" one hundred times during your favourite television show. Would you put your children in a cage and ignore them all day? It's the same for the family parrot or budgie!

As well as this all animals have unique personalities. Cats are seen as particularly independent and spend hours practising their "I don't need you" scowl. Dogs are very rewarding and loyal but tend to sniff their own (and occasionally other people's) bottoms on a daily basis. Fish are well.....fish and like to swim all day, whereas hamsters are little stuntmen that love to dive into that wheel or tear around the floor in a ball.

Another consideration is the members of your family. If you have young children it can be fun and rewarding to go for that walk to the park with your loyal hound. On the other hand (and this is from personal experience) young children see a dog and want to ride it like a horse..... not fun for the dog. Cats may swipe if their tail is pulled and birds may peck at fingers poked through the bars of the cage. Safety of children and the animals should be a big consideration when thinking about buying a pet.

If you decide that the time is right and you can care for a pet, choose the right one for you. The best way to do this is to research by reading up on various breeds, asking around or even visiting pet owner forums so you can ask all of your questions to other pet owners. Luckily this isn’t too difficult thanks to all the info you need being right here online! And when you are ready, be sure to buy from a reputable breeder or pet store (another resource easily found here!) And finally, remember- a pet is for life, not just for Christmas or a birthday!